Two fined for mobile data theft

Two ex-T-Mobile staff have to pay £73,700 in fines and confiscation orders after being found guilty of breaking the Data Protection Act.

David Turley and Darren Hames were identifying customers whose mobile contracts were about to end. These contact details were then sold onto sales companies flogging new contracts.

They pleaded guilty last year to breaking section 55 of the DPA.

Turley must pay back £45,000 and got a three-year conditional discharge. He has six months to pay the money or face 18 months in prison.

Hames must pay back £28,700 and £500 towards prosecution costs within six months or go to prison for 15 months.

The result is the first time the Information Commissioner's Office has successfully applied for a confiscation order.

T-Mobile realised there was a problem with data protection and called in the ICO to help with its investigation.

Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said: “Today’s hearing marks the final chapter in an investigation that has exposed the criminals behind a mass illegal trade in lucrative mobile phone contract information.

"Those who have regular access to thousands of customer details may think that attempts to use it for personal gain will go undetected. But this case shows that there is always an audit trail and my office will do everything in its power to uncover it. " ®